


kept you sleeping and eating

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [8]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Brother Feels, Brother-Brother Relationships, Brother-Sister Relationships, Diapers, Dysfunctional Family, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Sick Character, Sickfic, Team as Family, Trans Flug (Villainous), Trans Male Character, bottle feeding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-12-31 22:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18323519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: After the events of “twice as embarrassing as your senior prom”, Flug is left unbelievably sick and weak, leaving Black Hat to feel guilty for what happened as he struggles to care for his sick kid. At least they have their family for backup!





	1. i'll make you better

**Author's Note:**

> Did I ever mention that I've made some playlists for this fic series? I've got the Flug & Black Hat and Black Hat vs White Hat playlists completed so far, and I might do more/add more songs! So check out KenningFlugSlys on 8tracks to hear my terrible taste in music! Speaking of music, the following song lyrics come from the song “Kettering” (very close to Kenning lmao) by The Antlers. ((BTW, I’m sick af as I write this, so I’m sorry if this comes off as especially melodramatic compared to my usual writing… I get like that when I’m sick/upset, lmao.))

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((Edited on July 13th, 2019. Sickfic is such a popular prompt for age-sliding/regression fics and... yeah, I get why that is now.))

_“You made me sleep all uneven_

_And I didn't believe them_

_When they told me that there_

_Was no saving you.”_

 

_…_

 

There’s blood all over his clothes, but Black Hat, for the life of him, cannot bring himself to care. He keeps his eyes on Flug, who’s been unconscious for a majority of the limo ride home, the boy’s chest steadily rising and falling, yet his breathing is still worryingly shallow. Subconsciously, Black Hat’s hold tightens, a feeling of pure, unadulterated _dread_ filling his insides, leaving the demon uncomfortable and, unnaturally enough, _scared._ It’s been a long, long time since Black Hat’s been in this sort of position, although the feelings were a bit different last time. He can see it in his head, clear as day; _White in his arms, the paler demon sobbing his lungs out, drenched in holy water and begging Black to make the pain go away. But Black… he can’t do anything. He’s powerless.  
_

Shaking his head, Black Hat forces the memory away. It will do him no good to fret over past events; he needs to stay in the present. Speaking of which… Black Hat tucks a stray clump of hair behind Flug’s ear, clearing the boy’s vision; the older villain doesn’t his hijo to see the blood tangling his hair. Soon enough, Hat-bot gets them home, and Black Hat damn near rips the door off it’s hinges getting out, struggling to hold Flug and navigate around the door at the same time. Black Hat settles for producing two tentacles from his back, using them to hold the scientist above his head while he gets himself in order. Once the car door is shut and Hat-bot has driven off to park, the demon returns to carrying his son bridal style.

The minute Black Hat gets through the gate, the front door swings open, and out runs an excited looking Demencia. Did she wait up for them? “You’re back!” Demencia shouts, running to the pair at top speed. However, the minute she sees that Flug’s unconscious, she slows down, coming to a halt a few feet in front of Black Hat. “… What’s wrong with him? He fall asleep in the car?” She asks, though she seems to have already realized how uncomfortable her boss is.

“I need you to go back to bed, Demencia; I need privacy.” Black Hat orders, refusing to explain himself just yet. When Demencia doesn’t move right away, he shoulders past her, stomping up the stairs and into the mansion.

That gets a reaction. “Blackie? Black Hat, what’s wrong?” The terror in Demencia’s tone is obvious. She runs to catch up, her hand just barely grazing the older villain’s back, but that’s all she needs to do in order to get her palm covered in blood. Her eyes widen upon seeing it, a mix of excitement and fear in her eyes. “Oh my gosh, what _happened?_ It looks like you bathed in a world war one trench.”

Black Hat doesn’t meet Demencia’s eyes, but he at least begins explaining the situation, all while making a beeline for the laboratory. “We ran into trouble,” He says, grip tightening around his hijo without realizing it. “Kenning got slipped some poison while I wasn’t looking… I of course took care of the perpetrator, however, I was unable to find a cure for the disease on her person. I only hope our dear doctor has something for this…”

Demencia nods along with what her boss says, following him into the basement. She stays on the sidelines while Black Hat clears a table, the demon knocking everything on it’s surface to the floor. “Flug isn't gonna like that you’re messing up his stuff.” She comments, but otherwise doesn’t step in to clean it up; she isn’t about to get anywhere near Black Hat when he’s this upset.

In the meantime, 505 stirs, the blue bear emerging from a pile of stuffed animals in the corner of the laboratory. Very hesitantly, 505 comes closer, ears folding back as he whimpers, the scent of blood finally reaching him. “Yes, I know, it looks very bad, pest. Rest assured that I have everything under control,” Black Hat mutters, semi-gently shoving 505 away with his foot- much like he did when the animal was still a little cub- in order to get him out of the way. “Get back, you; I need room to work.”

With his employees keeping their distance, Black Hat goes about forcing Flug’s tuxedo jacket off, throwing it aside. He’s tempted to look him over for any injuries- just in case that bitch injected him with anything else- but the villain refrains from doing so, aware that Flug isn’t out to anyone but him and his brother, so he’d probably be upset if he found out his shirt was removed. Carefully, Black Hat gets Flug settled on the table he cleared, laying him out on his back. He uses the scientist’s bloody jacket as pillow, wadding it up and shoving it underneath his head. With Flug now laid out, Black Hat goes about searching the nearest shelves, speed-reading through the labels. Didn’t Flug mention working on toxins recently? Or was that his brother? Either way, Black Hat’s determined to find _something_ that will help!

“Um… señor?” Demencia speaks up, voice hesitant. Her eyes are glued to something over Black Hat’s shoulder. “You might want to, um… turn around.”

Black Hat does so, and his eyes widen in horror at the sight. “¡Oye! ¡Fuera de ahí, pequeña mierda!” He shouts, as 505 has begun fiddling with something on one of Flug’s tables.

The bear ignores him for a few more minutes, before making a pleased sound, as if he’s got something. With a big grin, 505 gets on all fours, coming to sit by Black Hat’s side, a vial with a clear, blueish fluid inside. “Baw!” 505 says, voice muffled by the vial.

“What’s this?” Black Hat takes the vial, carefully reading the label, eyes squinting in concentration. _“‘Cure-All for Venom Based Poisoning’?_ Wouldn’t hurt to try,” The demon hesitates, looking between Demencia and 505, before begrudgingly petting the bear’s head fur. “Good job… you.” He mutters, embarrassed to be praising 505 in front of a witness.

“Well? Give Flug the cure!” Demencia insists, coming to stand next to Black Hat now that there seems to be a solution to all of this.

“Easy, my dear… give me a moment.” Black Hat orders, shape-shifting his hand into a syringe. After pouring the vial’s contents into his wrist, the villain injects his son through his thigh, letting out a sigh of relief once it’s in.

The minute he’s been injected, Flug begins convulsing. The rest of the villains leap back in surprise, eyes wide in horror as they watch the scientist twitch and squirm. However, just as suddenly as they came on, the tremors stop, and Flug goes still, remaining unconscious. Black Hat turns to 505, his glare venomous and unbelievably angry. “I _swear,_ if that mierda _kills him-”_ The demon growls, eyes glowing red as he focuses his ire on 505, who cowers away in fear.

“Look! He’s breathing better!” Demencia points out, very likely saving 505 from a most horrible death. “See, Blackie? He’s gonna be okay!”

Black Hat backs off the bear, coming to lay a hand on Flug’s forehead… his energy signature has definitely improved, but the boy’s fever remains unaffected. “It certainly lessened his symptoms, but he’s still very much ill,” The older villain says, before turning to face his remaining employees. “Now listen here; while it seems the antidote has reduced the poison’s intensity, I doubt our doctor will be doing much better tomorrow morning. Therefore, until his health has improved, no one but me is permitted to come anywhere near him, is that clear? Although I doubt his condition is in any way contagious, the last thing Kenning needs is an audience while he’s trying to sleep. Am I understood?”

“Sí, señor,” Demencia promises, nodding her head in understanding. “But, um… are you sure he’ll be okay? Maybe we should-”

“-We are _not_ calling _anyone_ for assistance!” Black Hat snaps, defensive before he even hears her suggestion. “Do you not believe I am capable of restoring my own hijo’s health? That I am unprepared? Under my care, he will be well in no time!”

“I would never doubt you, my lord, but-” Demencia can’t even get a word in edgewise, as Black Hat scoops Flug up and, without even a simple goodnight, leaves the room, refusing to hear her out.

…

_“Is he getting any better?”_

_“He will. Give it time, my dear.”_

_“But I don’t_ want _to give it time! He’s like a hermanito to me!”_

 _“I know… but he_ will _get better. I promise.”_

Although those are the first things Flug hears, he knows that he doesn’t wake up until long after the voices have stopped talking. In fact, it feels like centuries have passed before the boy begins to stir, his body weighed down by an unseen force. Slowly, Flug opens his eyes, squinting as he tries to look around. He’s back in the nursery, that much is obvious, but how did he get here? Flug hardly remembers anything, it’s all so… _blurry._ There was a party, and then… _nothing._ No, wait- _his chest feels like it’s on fire; there’s blood on his hands and he wishes it wasn’t his own, but he knows it is, and that’s what scares him-_ the phantom pain knocks Flug to full consciousness, although it comes at the cost of an overwhelmingly insufferable headache.

 _“Ugh…_ talk about a hangover.” Flug murmurs, his words coming out a bit sloppy and wrong; he still feels disoriented.

When Flug tries to sit up, his body refuses to move, much to his frustration. This isn’t a normal hangover. Although Flug has never truly gotten drunk before, he’s witnessed enough drunken stupors from afar to know what happens when someone consumes alcohol. So if he didn’t get drunk… what _happened?_ Even if he can’t sit up, Flug manages to roll over, biting down on a hiss when the brightness of his nightlight speckles his vision with dark spots. He shakes his head, ordering his body to obey his commands and just _work._ Slowly, Flug regains his vision, and with it he looks around the bedroom, trying to find any hints that may aid him in recalling what happened to him the night before.

Nothing _seems_ out of place, and yet… there’s a _presence._ Shifting his eyes this way and that, Flug finally catches sight of a shadowy figure sitting in the corner of the room. A lesser man- or more accurately, a less _informed_ man- would be shaking and cowering away at the sight of such an unnaturally shrouded creature, but Flug only feels relief at the sight. In the corner of the room sits Black Hat, entirely unconscious and looking much worse for wear. To Flug’s thankfulness, his boss doesn’t seem upset, but the demon’s body just _screams_ anxiety and worry. It’s honestly a tad endearing, but Flug would never say that out loud; he knows how big his padre’s ego is, and he wouldn’t want to embarrass him.

Right, embarrassment, that’s… _that’s why he drank it._ Flug feels physically nauseous at the unwelcome memory, at last recalling everything that transpired the night before (although he wishes he didn’t). The limo, the embarrassing introduction, his peers’ judging looks, the woman, the drink, the… the _blood bath._ Make no mistake of it, Kenning Hatson is no stranger to gore, but the sheer _suddenness_ of it, alongside Flug being quite ill and disoriented at the time, makes for a fairly traumatic experience. Flug’s dealt with much worse, which is a troubling concept all on it’s own, but… this time he couldn’t _do_ anything. He was _helpless._ That alone makes him feel as if death would be a welcome business venture in the foreseeable future.

“Pst… papá… _papá!”_ Flug can’t handle stewing in his own guilt; he needs someone to talk to. Unfortunately, Black Hat hardly stirs, the older villain muttering something incoherent under his breath. The scientist worries at his lip, feeling anxious at the thought of being alone. “Papá, por favor! Wake up, papi!”

Finally, Black Hat let’s out a disgruntled noise, slowly coming to. The demon sits up in the rocking chair, nearly spooking himself when it rocks him forward. He looks up, meeting Flug’s gaze, and the fact that his son isn’t giggling at his misstep is rather telling. “Kenning?” Black Hat asks, voice full of concern. “Kenning, mi hijo, what are you doing awake? You should be sleeping.”

Flug fidgets, feeling uncomfortable now that he actually has the attention he sought out. He’s beginning to regret his decision to wake Black Hat overwhelmingly fast. “I w-was just, um… w-worried about you, señor.”

Black Hat softens, coming to stand at Flug’s bedside. “Now now, hijo… I’m not upset with you. Just worried, that’s all,” He runs his hands through Flug’s hair, claws gently scratching the young man’s scalp, earning a blissed out expression from the boy, as Flug leans into his padre’s touch, pressing his cheek against the older villain’s hand. “There we go… nice and easy. You must be exhausted, mi hijo.”

Flug nods, not seeing any point in lying. “I am, papá,” He admits, closing his eyes in an attempt to make his headache lessen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. “She must have r-really overdone the d-dose, huh?”

“It seems she did. I attempted to give you an antidote from your laboratory, but it appears to have done nothing for the side-effects,” Black Hat explains. Suddenly, he picks Flug up, ignoring the surprised look he receives in response. “As much as I’d love for you to be resting, seeing as you’re already awake, it seems now is as good a time as any to get you cleaned up.”

“Y-You don’t have to d-do that, papá,” Flug assures, attempting to squirm out of his boss’s arms, but his body refuses to cooperate, his limbs filled with a phantom weight that makes them impossible to lift. “R-Really, I don’t need a… a…”

“A bath?” Black Hat finishes, unable to hide a smirk when his son blushes bright red. “Come now, hijo, I’ve washed you plenty of times before. Why so nervous?”

“Usually I’m, uh… p-pretty out of it,” Flug says, blushing even more. Nine times out of ten, the only times he’s been given a bath is after being spanked, so it’s a bit strange to be getting one without a punishment involved. “I-I guess I’m just, uh, n-not used to… all of this.” And that’s not a complete lie; although this age-sliding thing has been going on for over two months, Flug still feels uncertain about a majority of the activities involving his headspace, not the least of which is letting someone else wash him.

Black Hat sighs, appearing disappointed… but is it with himself or Flug? It’s hard for the scientist to tell. “That’s my own fault, mi hijo,” Black Hat says, and okay, at least he isn’t mad at Flug. That convinces the kid to chill out a little. “I should have been practicing this with you _much_ earlier, and I apologize for doing this to you when you’re emotionally compromised, however… your health comes first.”

Flug just nods, crestfallen but accepting of what’s going to happen. “I understand, papá.” He assures, not quite meeting his padre’s eyes.

Black Hat cracks a smile, offering Flug a comforting pat on the back. “That’s mi hijo.” He praises, before exiting the room with Flug in tow.

Although Flug is very much accustomed to the dark, haunted lighting of the mansion, something about it seems… _dimmer?_ Did Black Hat make it even _less_ lighted? Searching his surroundings, Flug determines that this must be the case, as all of the electricity powered lights have been shut off, replaced by floating candles that oh so delicately illuminate the manor. It’s such a small thing to do, and yet Flug feels overwhelmingly thankful for it, as the lack of artificial lighting makes his head hurt much less. Soon enough, they reach Black Hat’s bedroom, and like so many times before, the demon carries Flug into his personal bathroom, sitting the boy on the floor while he gets everything ready.

For once not sobbing and sore, Flug takes some time to look around, pleased by his surroundings. The bathroom isn’t annoyingly classy, as one might expect from a being such as Black Hat, but it’s fancy enough to remind anyone granted access that this bathroom indeed belongs to a man of higher standing. By the time Flug is done admiring the shower curtain of all things- really? Red with top hats? His padre is nothing if not committed to his aesthetic- he’s rather suddenly stripped of his clothing, leaving him naked and vulnerable. Flug shivers, uncomfortable being naked, especially seeing as he now has to temporarily abandon his binder… oh well; can’t ruin it by getting it soaked in soap, right?

“I know, I know, hijo; you hate being topless,” Almost as if reading his son’s mind, Black Hat is quick to help Flug into the bathtub, cautious to not accidentally graze the scientist’s bare chest. “I’ll be done very soon, Kenning… just relax.”

And Flug does, despite some part of his brain screaming and demanding to be returned to his laboratory. As much as Flug would love to busy himself with work like he usually does when sick, this is his first time being sick since he and Black Hat started their newfound relationship, and some part of him is now aware of the freedom that entails. Sure, Flug will now always be seen as the older villain’s child/little one, but now he can actually _relax_ for once in his miserable life. For as long as Flug can remember, he’s been forced- either by his parents or by circumstance- to tough out any and all illnesses… but now he can actually recover _naturally._ And if Flug’s hypothesis is correct, this will hopefully mean his sickness will go away faster as a result!

“Distracted?” Black Hat inquires, knocking Flug out of his thoughts. Upon earning an embarrassed blush, the demon chuckles, going about scrubbing his son with a soap-sodden sponge. “Don’t mind me, mi hijo… just checking in.”

Flug huffs, otherwise ignoring his padre’s prodding. Internally, he’s completely aware of how close of a call last night was. Had the poisoning gone unnoticed for longer, or had the dose been bigger, Flug’s certain he wouldn’t be conscious right now, much less alive. Unfortunately, he’s also aware that this is, to some degree, his own fault. Had he not been so careless and thought before he accepted that drink… well, no, Flug _did_ think, and what he _thought_ was that the benefits would outweigh the consequences… to be entirely fair though, he sort of forgot about possibly getting poisoned. All he wanted to do was be at ease and not embarrass his father, and look where it’s gotten him… Flug feels like such a failure.

“Por favor, señor,” Flug doesn’t know what exactly convinces him to start talking- a cocktail of self-guilt, self-loathing, and a desire to assure his padre that he didn’t mean to fuck up- but in any case, it happens, and once he’s started, Flug can’t stop. “I d-didn’t mean to… to embarrass you l-last night, I just, I j-just…”

“I _know,_ mi hijo,” Black Hat murmurs, beginning to scrub Flug’s scalp with soap covered claws; not only will it get him clean, but it will also calm him down from his potential panic attack. “It’s alright now… you learned your lesson, sí?”

“S-Sí, papá,” Flug promises, feeling blissed out by the sensation of sharpened, yet restrained claws running across his scalp. “B-But… I only d-drank it b-because… b-because I wanted to _n-not_ embarrass you,” He explains, refusing to end the conversation without a proper explanation for his actions. “Sh-She told me I was t-too jittery… had to ch-chill out. I th-thought the drink w-would… would make me c-calm.”

There’s a lengthy pause, before Black Hat let’s out a long, troubled sigh. “Oh, _mi amor,”_ It’s not quite sadness, but it’s something close to… is it _fatigue?_ Because of _Flug?_ “There is _nothing_ you could do that would embarrass me… worry me, perhaps, but not embarrass. Have you _any_ idea how _great_ you are? How _impressive_ your skills? Every villain I talked to at that party wanted to know how I had acquired such a talented young heir,” The older villain grabs hold of Flug’s chin, turning it up so he can meet Black Hat’s gaze. “Mi vida, I am so _unbelievably_ proud of you, and nothing is ever going to change that.”

That does it. His emotions already being compromised due to being sick, on top of having that guilty weight lifted off his chest, Flug breaks down crying. It’s not an unhappy sobbing, or one of pain, but rather, it’s of _relief._ Black Hat just continues to wash his son, until finally the scientist is completely clean, leaving the demon to drain the tub and retrieve a towel from under the sink. Once the water has fully drained, Black Hat throws the towel over Flug’s body, the boy automatically cocooning himself in the fabric, wiping off his face with one of the corners. The demon is merciful, rubbing Flug’s back throughout the ordeal, until finally, Flug yawns, exhausted after the heartfelt sobbing his body needed to get out of it’s system.

Black Hat doesn’t comment, choosing to move along as quickly as possible so Flug can go back to sleep. “Are you hungry at all, mi hijo?” He inquires, checking just to be safe. After all, he can’t put his kid to bed with an empty stomach.

“No, papi… I’m okay,” Flug manages, all strung out after everything has been said and done. He leans on Black Hat for support, eyes half lidded as he struggles to stay awake. “Thank you for, uh… saying that to me, papi… I really, _really_ needed to hear it. I don’t… I don’t think anyone’s ever told me they’re proud of me before.”

“Then I’ll just need to say it more often then, won’t I?” Black Hat jokes, all while his grip subconsciously tightens in fury around Flug, feeling disproportionately enraged about such a small thing… but it’s _not_ a small thing, is it? It’s a much bigger, much _scarier_ thing than the older villain is comfortable with, as it opens the door to so much more evil… and unfortunately for the lord of villainy, it’s an evil even _he_ is incapable of handling.

To distract himself from the horrible admission, Black Hat quickly redresses Flug, settling on just a loose, oversized T-shirt and diaper. To the demon’s relief, Flug is too exhausted to care that he’s not being given back his binder, something Black Hat hates to deprive him of, but the boy doesn’t need anything else deterring his recovery, not the least of which being a piece of clothing that purposefully restricts one’s chest. Once he’s got his son dressed, Black Hat scoops him off the floor and exits the bathroom, sighing with relief. Okay, he’s got his kid clean… that’s a good start to getting him better, right? Now all Flug needs is a little food, a bit of water, and a _hell_ of a lot of rest; then he’ll go back to being the organization’s favorite scientist.

“Papi?” Flug asks, bringing Black Hat back to reality. The demon glances down, meeting his son’s gaze. “May I, um… may I sleep in here tonight, papi? I… I don’t want to be alone, and your bed is really, um… it’s really comforting. To sleep in.”

Black Hat smiles, ruffling Flug’s shaggy hair. “Of course, mi hijo,” He agrees, tucking his hijo into bed. As a second thought, the older villain snaps his fingers, bringing Plaga right to him. “Look who it is, Kenning,” He says in an almost sing-song voice, presenting the toy to Flug, even making it dance in the air a little. “It’s your little friend; Plaga!”

Flug, at the very least, cracks a smile at his padre’s antics, but his lack of a giggle is enough proof that he needs to sleep as soon as possible. “Por favor,” Flug thanks, taking the plushie from Black Hat and snuggling it to his chest. “Goodnight, mi papi… te amo.”

“Yo también te quiero. Goodnight, and sleep well.” Black Hat says in return, making sure the covers are tucked around his hijo properly. He waits until Flug falls asleep to sneak a kiss to the boy’s forehead, before blowing out the candles and exiting the room, leaving his son to sleep in peace.

…

Despite the somber atmosphere caused by the resident doctor’s current sickness, life continues on in the Villainous household, with Black Hat doing his best to keep his employees busy while Flug rests. It’s made much more difficult than the demon would like it to be by his employees’ insistent pestering, as both 505 and Demencia seem eager to sneak past Black Hat and get into his bedroom in order to check on Flug. While the lord of villainy appreciates their concern, he’d be much happier if they would oh so kindly _stay out of his business._ 505 is easier to deal with- Black Hat just has to assign him some basic chores and he’ll be kept busy for the day- but _Demencia…_ well, she keeps sneaking away to try and find her missing coworker.

It’s during her third disappearance of the day that Black Hat stubbornly stomps towards his bedroom; he’s no fool, and he knows for a fact that that’s where his troublesome little lizard has taken off to. Approaching said bedroom, Black Hat readies himself to lecture Demencia in an attempt to scare her off, but that plan falls apart the minute he opens the door. Inside, Black Hat finds Demencia sitting in a chair beside his bed, hunched over as she seems to be staring at Flug’s sleeping, maskless face. But that alone isn’t what stops Black Hat in his tracks; no, it’s Demencia’s mournful, regret filled sobbing that makes the villain shiver with dread. It’s been a long, _long_ time since he’s heard her cry like that. Not since-

_-It’s raining. It’s dark outside. No living being- hero or otherwise- should be awake and roaming around outside at this hour, and yet that doesn’t keep Black Hat from finding a shivering, wet clothed woman on his front porch. The poor thing is soaked to the bone, a fair amount of blood leaking from a long, diagonal cut running down her arm. She yelps when Black Hat answers the door, trying to bury herself in her oversized green hoodie, but the villain doesn’t let her. With a gentleness he rarely shows, Black Hat grabs the girl by the arm, hoisting her to her feet. She struggles in his grasp, sobbing as she tries to run away from him._

_“Enough of that,” Black Hat orders, glaring at the pitiful little wench. “What are you doing here, chucho? You’re trespassing on my property, and I do not take kindly to uninvited guests!”_

_“I-I’m s-sorry, señor,” The girl practically wails, still trying to struggle away from the demon, but her body refuses to stop shaking long enough for her to gain enough strength to do so. “I d-didn’t…” She looks around, eyes wide and dilated. The villain could recognize that expression from a mile away; fear. Someone did this to her… someone put her in this position, then left her for dead. “P-Please, señor, may I… may I st-stay here tonight? I p-promise, I’ll do anything for you!” She stares at her feet, gaze crestfallen, a numbness in her eyes that makes her captor unbelievably uneasy. “Even… yes, e-even that.” She says, eyeing the demon’s crotch._

_Black Hat simply_ stares _at this young woman. Stares at her rose red hair, her mismatched eyes, her rain soaked clothes, her terrified face… and he makes a decision; one that will forever change his life. “Very well. You may come in,” He opens the door wider, ushering her inside with a hand between her shoulder blades. “I only ask to know your name, young miss.”_

_The girl, for the first time in what must be months- if not years- smiles up at the lord of villainy, an overwhelming gratefulness in her expression. “My… I don’t…” She looks away, almost embarrassed. “Y-You can call me D-Demencia, señor.”_

_Black Hat offers a small smile to show that he appreciates the gesture. “Demencia? What a lovely name,” He takes her by the hand, leading her deeper into the mansion. “Do not fret, my dear… you’re safe with me tonight.”  
_

All too suddenly, the memory is cut short as a higher pitched sob escapes Demencia’s throat before she can stop it, causing Black Hat to jump a little in surprise. He shakes it off, quite honestly amazed he even _remembers_ that night; then again, it was only about… eight years ago? Is that how long it’s been? The villain sighs, forcing himself to move on. Careful to not alert Demencia to his presence, Black Hat skillfully and silently opens the door wider, sneaking inside before he shuts it behind him. With a stealthiness often associated with the very employee he’s currently sneaking up on, Black Hat steps closer to Demencia, only breaking the silence to snap his fingers in order to summon his armchair.

Black Hat is sitting down at the same time that Demencia is jumping up, startled by her boss’s sudden presence. “Black Hat!” She yelps, somehow shocked that her boss found her so fast; honestly, who does she think she’s dealing with here? “What are _you_ doing here!?”

“Keep your voice down! And why do you _think_ I’m here? Don’t think me so foolish as to not be capable of predicting where you’d run off to, my dear girl,” Black Hat manages a small chuckle, hoping that humor will lighten Demencia’s spirits. “If anything, _I_ should be inquiring as to why _you’re_ here. This is, after all, _my_ bedroom.”

Demencia deflates, the fight leaving her in an instant. “Well…” She trails off, rubbing her arm as she focuses her eyes on Flug, who’s still thankfully asleep. “I was just… checking on him, I guess.” She admits, still not looking up.

Black Hat nods, not the least bit surprised. “Then why are you _crying,_ my dear? Can’t you see that he’s fine?” He asks, unsure still as to why Demencia is so upset.

Demencia pulls a face, trying to think through her answer. “But he’s _not_ fine,” She deadpans; at least she’s as blunt as she usually is. That’s a good sign. “And I guess… I dunno, I feel like it’s _my fault?”_ She starts to tear up again at the reminder, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“It’s not your fault, Demencia,” Black Hat doesn’t even know _how_ Demencia came to this unreasonable conclusion, but he’s intent on putting a stop to it before it gets any worse. “I have already killed the culprit, and I know for a _fact_ that you had nothing to do with this.”

“No, I mean… look, I’ve been pretty… _mean_ to him lately,” Demencia admits, much to Black Hat’s surprise, as he honestly believed she was unaware of how harsh she’s been to the scientist. “Ever since you adopted him, I just… I feel _left out._ Like you don’t care about me anymore,” Tears trickle down her face as she speaks her peace, her lip wobbling somewhat, but she perseveres. “I didn’t mean to let it get to me, but it just kept building and building, and I just… I _wanted_ him to get hurt, and I’m scared that _that’s_ why he’s sick now… all because I was freaking _jealous.”_

Black Hat sighs. _Deeply._ He’s _really_ out of his depth when it comes to comforting others, but… God, how did it even _get_ this serious? How had he not seen the _signs?_ Although Flug is a firm disbeliever of magic- something Black Hat will _never_ understand about his hijo- the demon knows that Demencia believes in it, and therefore believes in the power of will. Will, to put it simply, is when you focus energy into something in an attempt to _‘will it’_ into happening. Does… does Demencia _really_ think she orchestrated all of this, despite all the evidence saying otherwise? No _wonder_ she’s so upset… Black Hat remembers a time where he too feared his own malicious thoughts and feelings would hurt those he cared about.

“Oh, mi querido,” Black Hat sighs, pulling Demencia into a hug. The woman sobs the minute she’s embraced, unabashedly clinging to her boss for support. “Dios mío, why did you not tell me sooner? Intention alone could not have _possibly_ caused this… as I have said, I already tended to the assailant, and she has paid dearly for her crimes. As for you, Demencia… yes, you have indeed been treating su hermano poorly, but it is to be expected, given the circumstances of this… _strange_ arrangement. You may never be mi hija, but that does not mean you are _not_ Kenning’s hermana.”

Weakly, Demencia nods, sniffling as she pulls away somewhat, looking her boss in the eyes. “I understand, señor… I’m sorry. For everything.”

Black Hat gives a stiff nod. “Apology accepted, my dear. However, it may not be such a terrible idea to apologize to Kenning once he’s well again. Speaking of which…” The older villain sets Demencia back in her seat, standing up so he can reach down and shake Flug by the shoulder, rousing the young man from his slumber. “Kenning? Wake up, mi hijo.”

“Hmph,” Flug grunts out, rolling onto his opposite side. Black Hat simply rolls the skinny scientist back onto his back, much to the boy’s frustration. _“Ugh…_ what’s wrong?” He finally asks, slowly but surely accepting the fact that he has to be awake now.

“Nothing too urgent; you need to get something in your system,” Black Hat explains. Upon seeing his hijo’s displeased expression, the demon stifles a chuckle. “No need to fret, mi hijo. I doubt you can keep anything solid down, so I will not force you into eating anything too hardy. Thankfully for you, I’ve just the thing!” He claps his hands, and just like that, an actual, legitimate baby bottle appears in his hand, filled with a tinted yellow liquid.

“Um… what _is_ that?” Demencia asks, tilting her head at the baby bottle. She attempts to grab it to inspect for herself, but Black Hat holds it away from her.

“A baby bottle,” Black Hat deadpans, rolling his eyes at Demencia’s usual pestering; at least she’s not crying anymore. “As for it’s contents, I believe chicken broth is of enough nutritional value to tide Kenning over, at least until he’s capable of eating again.”

Flug doesn’t look the least bit happy, but he doesn’t bother arguing, much to Black Hat’s relief; poor kid is still too exhausted to give a shit. Quietly, Black Hat sits on the bed, gently coaxing Flug out from underneath the covers and positioning him to sit in his lap. The boy hesitates at first- he’s no doubt reminded of a similar position that he’s been subjected to over Black Hat’s knee- before finally seating himself where Black Hat wants him. Leaning back at his padre’s silent request, Flug allows Black Hat to force the bottle’s top past his lips, the older villain keeping hold of it for him. While this is entirely too embarrassing in Flug’s opinion, he doesn’t fuss much, eventually getting used to sucking on the rubber nipple.

Black Hat smiles at the sight, his eyes soon glancing up, only to find Demencia unabashedly grinning at the father and son duo. The demon blushes a bright olive green, averting his eyes in both shame and embarrassment. “Hahaha… you look _so cute_ as a papi,” Demencia teases, glancing between Flug and his padre, all too amused by the situation. “I think I could get used to seeing you like this!”

“Demencia, _please!”_ Flug all but begs, spitting out the bottle to reprimand his coworker, to which Black Hat stubbornly shoves the nipple right back in his mouth.

“Less talking, more sucking,” Black Hat orders, fixing Flug with a stern glare. Once certain that Flug isn’t going to repeat his mistake, the older villain turns his irritation back on Demencia. “How about you run off and… I don’t know, listen to your music? Mi hijo doesn’t need to be teased when he’s still so sickly.”

Demencia rolls her eyes, unimpressed by her boss’s scolding. “It’s not _my_ fault you two are adorable,” She points out, taking a seat in Black Hat’s armchair. “Besides, I still need to tell you my plan to make Kenny better!”

Both Flug and Black Hat perk up at that. “Oh? And what do you have in mind?” Black Hat asks, much more open to suggestions today than he was last night; he had been too short-tempered at that point to think clearly, and now that he’s in a better mood, he’s ready to hear what his employee has to say.

“Let me call Clemmy,” Demencia offers all too nonchalantly, shrugging at the immediate look of revulsion on Black Hat’s face. “I _know_ you don’t like her, but she _does_ have awesome healing powers; makes me wish she had ‘em back when we were kids! Would’ve made hiding injuries a _lot_ easier!”

“Never mind the fact that not only are you suggesting we recruit a _superhero_ of all characters to assist in mi hijo’s recovery,” Black Hat lectures, a fury not so subtly building in his bones. “But requesting her assistance would no doubt prompt my brother to come as well, and I do _not_ need another headache right now!”

Just as Black Hat finishes, Flug suddenly begins coughing, launching forward to get a better angle. Black Hat startles at the sight, beginning to vigorously pat and rub his hijo’s back in an attempt to help him along. It stops after a time, yet the coughing is quickly followed by Flug’s body beginning to shiver uncontrollably. Out of desperation, Black Hat tucks Flug back under the covers of his bed, and yet the shivers refuse to stop. Pressing a hand to his hijo’s forehead, Black Hat is shocked by how overheated Flug is. Then why is he _shivering_ of all things? The demon steps away, pacing as he tries to think of a solution, before his eyes land on Demencia again, who just gives him a raised eyebrow, her arms crossed stubbornly across her chest.

Black sighs in defeat, giving the lizard woman a stiff nod. “Very well… call her,” He orders in a hushed tone, eyes fixed on Flug, who’s quickly fallen back asleep, his body continuing to shake and shiver. “Tell her to come as soon as possible.”

“What about your brother?” Demencia asks, although she’s already begun to pull out her cellphone, dialing the number in manually. “Should I tell her not to bring him, or…?”

“If she comes here, he most certainly will as well. I’m prepared to… _live_ with that,” Black Hat explains, feeling sick to his stomach at the very thought. He _really_ doesn’t want to deal with White Hat right now, but his hijo’s health and well-being come first, so Black Hat will do what he must to help him… even if it means he has to be around his overbearing twin brother. At the very least, the villain is sure Flug wouldn’t mind seeing his own brother again. “Therefore, you have my permission to invite her over; tell her we are in need of medical assistance, but I ask that you do not specify what the issue is… no need to have mi hermano making any assumptions about my parenting skills.” He adds, restraining himself from shivering at the thought; he _knows_ how protective White Hat can be.

Demencia gives a fake salute, offering her boss a lopsided grin. “Got it, jefe!” She assures, doing much better than she was earlier. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, Lord Black Hat! Clementia’s gonna make Kenny better in no time!” With that she runs off, shutting the door behind her.

Black Hat let’s out a long, tired sigh once she’s gone. Again, he’d much rather _not_ have a bunch of superheroes in his mansion, but… his eyes settle on Flug, who let’s out a weak cough in his sleep. Absentmindedly, the demon runs a gentle hand through the boy’s hair, brushing Flug’s sweat drenched bangs out from over his eyes. The scientist settles down a bit at the contact, producing a halfhearted chuckle from his padre. Black Hat gives his hijo a small, worried smile… he’s doing this for _him._ It’s definitely going to be an ordeal- White Hat is nothing if not overbearing- but Black Hat is willing to go through it a thousand times over, if only to keep his hijo safe and well.

Certain that Flug will stay asleep, Black Hat snaps his fingers, snuffing out the candles that were once illuminating the bedroom. “Goodnight, mi amor… te amo.” In a puff of smoke, Black Hat disappears, leaving his hijo to rest in peace.


	2. can't do this alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so fucking long, y’all… kept writing and rewriting scenes because they kept coming out wrong/weird, so I hope this chapter isn’t too rough as a result. ((I’ll proofread this bullcrap later, I promise, so sorry if it’s crap))! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Me at myself: “Why the fuck is this twice as long as the first chapter!?”  
> My bastard brain: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> ((Edited on July 20th, 2019. For the record, I still don't know why this chapter ended up twice as long as the first one.))

If there is one thing Kenning Hatson cannot stand, it’s being sick. He’s gone through his share fair of illnesses over the years, and one might even argue that he was quite sickly as a child, but it’s never gotten any easier. Every time Flug catches the latest bug floating around, he finds himself feeling helpless and guilt ridden, the later emotion brought on by internalized self hatred. As a child, Flug had been made to work/go to school even if he was sick, which badly damaged his immune system. To make matters worse, on the off chance that the illness was extreme enough that he would be forced to stay home, Flug was subject to ridicule and scolding, oftentimes blamed for something he could have in no way prevented. At the time, such things had been instrumental in his current lack of self care.

And yet, despite it never having been his fault before, Flug truly believes it’s his fault that he’s sick this time around. In the present, he’s found himself to be in Black Hat’s bedroom, left alone long enough to gather his thoughts. Rolling onto his side, Flug glances at an old fashioned alarm clock on his padre’s nightstand, squinting his eyes to try and make out the time. It’s roughly… 2:45AM? _Damn._ Flug internally groans, caught between wanting to get up and prove himself to be well enough to work, and needing to get some more rest. He ultimately sits up, at the very least cracking his back to relieve some of the soreness. While simultaneously hearing a satisfying crack, Flug is startled by the loud, jarring screech of a doorbell.

 _“Someone’s at the front door,”_ Flug thinks, recognizing the sound hauntingly well; to be fair, getting semi frequent guests for the last two years would make _anyone_ memorize the sound of their own doorbell, even when it’s coming from the other side of their house. _“I wonder who it could be at this hour… certainly not a client; not unless they have a death wish.”_ Turning to look at the bedroom door, the boy considers his options, before slinking out of bed, shoving on a pair of Black Hat’s slippers to keep his feet warm, the footwear appearing embarrassingly big on the young man.

Having to walk funny to keep the slippers on, Flug pads out of the bedroom, hunching over to the best of his ability, as he doesn’t wish to be caught out of bed this late at night; no doubt Black Hat would be upset if he found out. Getting to the front door is easy enough, but the minute he’s close, Flug gets on all fours, crawling on the floor in order to stay out of sight. Once he’s reached the top of the staircase leading to the foyer, Flug goes still, peeking down at the front door through the bars supporting the banister, eyes widening at the sight before him. To the scientist’s surprise, it’s Black Hat who’s answering the door, something the villain typically leaves to him or  the Hat-bots. They must have a very important guest if _Black Hat_ is the one letting them inside!

“I’m coming, I'm coming! I swear, if you ring that doorbell _one more time…”_ Black Hat swings the door open, his body language reeking of agitation; okay, so he’s obviously not happy about whoever is coming over. Is it his brother? “About time you got here. What took you so damned long? Had trouble loading the clown car?” The demon’s tone is mocking and trite, making his bad mood even more glaringly obvious. Yeah, it’s definitely White Hat who’s visiting.

This is proven correct when White Hat, Dr. Slug, Clementia, and 606 come walking into the foyer a moment later, the lot of them appearing exhausted. “We would have come sooner, had you only called at an earlier time, brother,” White Hat explains, taking off his coat and hanging it on the nearest coat rack. He does the same for Slug’s coat, helping the younger hero wriggle it off. “Now then, you mentioned that someone was ill? Where are they?”

Unfortunately for Flug, he answers that himself, as an unexpected coughing fit overtakes him, causing all who are present to look his way. Before the scientist can get through the fit and run off, Black Hat has him in his arms, balancing the young man on his hip once he's caught him. “Oh, hijo… you shouldn't be out of bed this late at night,” Although Black Hat is clearly concerned that his kid is up, he isn’t too harsh with Flug, aware that the boy's sickness alone makes sleeping through the night damn near impossible. “I’m guessing the doorbell woke you up?” Even so, the older villain realizes that it probably wasn't Flug's fever that woke him up this time.

Unable to answer verbally, as he’s still coughing too hard, Flug just nods, embarrassed that this is happening at all. “Goodness, it's your _son?_ He really _is_ sick!” White Hat exclaims, daring to step a bit closer. He hesitates, hand hovering near Flug’s forehead, as if he wants to check his temperature. “Er, may I?” He asks his twin, not wishing to get on his bad side by touching the scientist without permission.

“Absolutely _not!”_ Black Hat growls, subtly angling his hijo away from the other demon, a growl building in the back of his throat. He absolutely _despises_ acting this possessive, especially with an audience, but it’s _because_ of the audience that Black Hat feels the need to act tougher; curse these animistic instincts!

“Then why the hell did you even _call us_ if you don’t want our help, asshole!?” Slug asks, voice coming out almost as a bark. He looks even more tired than the rest of his team, which really shouldn’t be a surprise; his sleeping habits are just as bad as Flug’s, at least when they go unchecked for too long.

“Sammy, chill out,” Clementia orders around a mighty yawn, offhandedly rubbing at her eyes. She's still decked out in her pajamas, complete with pink bunny slippers. “Black Hat’s just upset that his kid is sick; don’t act like your dad wouldn’t be just as worried if _you_ were under the weather!”

Black Hat offers the young heroine a loose smirk, silently appreciating her assistance. “I’ll be perfectly honest, brother,” He focuses his words on White Hat, but never takes his eyes off Clementia. “I only invited you and your bastards because I need the girl's assistance,” The older villain gestures for the heroine to come closer. After sharing a glance with her teammates, she does so, already reaching her hands out. “Here; look him over. I’ve done all I can think of, but every time he seems to be doing better, he’s right back to square one an hour later.”

Clementia nods, one hand on Flug’s forehead, the other on his abdomen. Her palms begin to glow, rays of pink shining on the edges of her hands, what once was a neutral expression on her face quickly morphing to one of genuine concern. “Hm… that’s weird,” She comments, stepping back and wringing off her hands, tiny yellow sparks flicking off her fingertips. “It feels like a lot of things at once… what _happened_ to him? He eat something he wasn’t supposed to?” She flashes a smirk Slug's way, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dealt with an age-slider who didn't understand that he wasn’t supposed to drink random chemicals.”

Slug scowls, crossing his arms with a huff. “That was only the one time and you _know it,”_ He says, before he gives Flug a somewhat terrified once-over, trying to figure out what’s wrong as well. “So, big guy? What did you do to my little brother?” He asks the villain, his stance becoming aggressive, as if he’s prepared to fistfight Black Hat over this.

Black Hat rolls his eyes at the display, before an evergreen blush of shame overtakes his face, embarrassment filling the demon’s insides. “There was an… incident. At a party,” When everyone just keeps staring, he sighs, shaking his head in defeat. “I really musn’t be telling you this, however, as it is essential to finding out what is wrong… last night, I attended a soirée with mi hijo, hosted by an old friend of mine. It was for, well, villains and our heirs. At some point, I was mistakenly separated from Flug, and as a result he was persuaded into accepting a drink that was, to put it frankly, drugged. He was acting drunk and vomiting up blood within a matter of minutes. I took care of the perpetrator, however, I was unable to figure out what he was given, resulting in his current condition. He was given a minor antidote that I found in the lab, but I do not believe it actually worked… which is why you're here.”

If Black Hat expected anything other than to get yelled at, well, he shouldn’t have expected any different, especially from these people.

“You let my brother get fucking _drugged!?”_ Slug shouts, roaring like an untamed, unhinged lion. He advances on Black Hat, all but actually swinging at the demon, for fear of hitting his sickly brother. “You stupid motherfucker, what the _hell_ is _wrong_ with you!?”

Black Hat turns to White Hat, an eyebrow raised expectantly. “Well?” He inquires, his irritation obvious. “Aren’t you going to correct your chucho’s behavior? He will _not_ talk to me like this!”

“You have _no right_ to call my son a mutt!” White Hat warns, not yelling like his offspring, but he’s just as angry. “Although I do not appreciate my son's foul language, I can’t help but agree with him, Black; what were you _thinking!?_ I understand that you’re dead set on ruining your life by continuing to break the law, but you should _not_ be dragging your child into that lifestyle as well! Not only did you take him into an unbelievably dangerous situation, but you _left him alone?_ That was just _asking_ for someone to kidnap him! Honestly, you’re lucky he’s still alive!”

“Don’t tell me how to raise mi niño!” Black Hat warns, his eyes beginning to glow a dusky, crimson red. “And at least I gave him a choice! Last I heard, your hijo was forced into hero-ship!” The villain steps a bit closer into White Hat’s personal space, trying to crowd the hero.

“Hey!” Slug barks, coming to stand in-between the two demons; the height difference is embarrassing to say the least, and were the situation less tense, the twins would probably find this amusing. 606 also stands at the ready, much like a guard dog, staying on all fours and growling up at the villain. “Back off my dad, asshole! You put one hand on him, and I’ll dunk your sorry ass in holy water!”

“Stay _out_ of this, mocosa,” Black Hat orders through gritted teeth. Before the young hero can get away, the darker demon grabs hold of the little twerp, claws burying themselves in the back of Slug’s turtleneck; not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to scratch him. The villain holds his nephew up off the floor, baring his pointed teeth at the little ingrate. In the meantime, 606 roars, trying to bite Black Hat, but the demon merely kicks the bear away, unimpressed by the pitiful thing. “Perhaps I should just skin you alive; that would teach you to behave!” He offers, grinning like a serial killer.

White Hat’s shoulders shake, eyes burning blue as the ocean. “Get your filthy hands _off of him!”_ He shouts, his canines sharpening somewhat while the beginnings of wings flutter underneath his shirt, too small still to break free. When this doesn’t get a response, the hero steps closer, one hand grabbing Slug’s arm, the other reeling back to punch Black Hat in the face. **“I said _OFF!”_**

“White, stop it!” Clementia says, wrapping her arms around White Hat’s unoccupied one, effectively restraining him from attacking his twin. “There’s no need to fight, darling!”

“Fuck that, I’m pissed! Push his shit in, dad!” Slug shouts, trying to kick at Black Hat, but it’s made difficult by the fact that he’s worried about hitting Flug, who’s begun to whine and squirm, trying to get away from the situation, but his padre won’t put him down.

“You’re not helping!” Clementia scolds Slug, all while forcibly pulling on White Hat’s arm to try and make him back down. “Black Hat, please! See _reason!_ We shouldn’t be fighting!”

“You should have thought of that before insulting me in my own house!” Black Hat says, his teeth gleaming a dull green as he opens his jaw wider than physically plausible; he has no intentions of actually eating Slug, but the look on the boy’s bagged face is too hilarious not to scare him as much as possible.

“PUT MY BROTHER _DOWN,_ PAPÁ!”

Everyone goes quiet, the lot of heroes and villains looking around, until all eyes land on Flug, who looks beyond furious, angry tears trailing down his face. “Please, papi… just _stop._ Put him down!” The sheer power in his voice has Black Hat letting go in an instant, shocked by Flug’s uncharacteristic fury; Slug quickly takes cover behind White Hat, if only to stay out of the villain’s reach. “I understand that you’re scared and upset, but you can’t-” Flug suddenly coughs into his sleeve, a faint blush on his face at the fact that he interrupted himself. “-you can’t just… just _kill_ each other! Papá, you reached out for help, now please… _let them help…_ for me? Please?” Fitfully, he buries his face in Black Hat’s shirt, internally praying that this will be enough to end the argument.

A long pause follows, before Clementia let’s go of White Hat, giving a firm nod in agreement. “He’s right, you know,” She says, her expression heartbroken at the sight of someone she’s beginning to see as a little brother so upset and frightened. “There’s no point in standing here and screaming at each other; not when Flug’s this sick,” She looks up into Black Hat’s eyes, if only to keep his attention on her and her words. “What your son has is a mix of poison and some sort of hex; the moment you gave him an antidote to the poison, the hex took over. From what I can tell, it isn’t too horrendous, but it won’t go away naturally, which is why his symptoms haven't worn off. Over an elongated period of my healing, he should hopefully recover within, say… three days? Two if he doesn’t try overworking himself.”

Black Hat let’s out a sigh of relief. “And here I was concerned it was a death curse,” He mutters, offhandedly running a hand through his boy’s hair; Flug’s beginning to pass out after his blow up, leaving him pale and exhausted, head lulled against his padre's shoulder. “You hear that, mi hijo? You’ll be better soon enough.”

“Yippie,” Flug mutters, entirely deadpan. He groans, resisting the urge to squirm out of Black Hat’s arms and lay down on the floor, his eyes downcast as he closes them. “Papi, I’m so tired.” He admits, voice giving away that he’s likely age-sliding.

“I know, hijo, I know,” Black Hat whispers, his eyes meeting with White Hat’s. The two demons stare at each other, onlookers unsure if they’re soul gazing or not, before Black Hat holds out his hand to his twin, his expression expectant. “Much as I hate it, I see no other alternatives. Should you wish to, you are allowed to stay within my mansion for a short period of time, as I doubt you want your _‘pet’_ alone with me for very long.” He smirks at that, a knowing look in his eyes.

White Hat blushes bright blue, looking away. “Sh-She’s not my pet, brother! She’s a free, independent woman!” He sighs, shaking his head as he nonetheless takes his brother’s hand in his, giving it a firm shake. “However, I agree that it would be unacceptable to abandon you or your son in your hour of need… very well! We will stay here until your child is better!”

Slug rolls his eyes at the display, still rather upset about having almost been eaten. “Dad, you can just say that you wanna fu-”

“-One more word and you’ll regret it, Samuel,” White Hat orders, voice stern as he flashes his son a look that promises retribution from over his shoulder. “Don’t think that just because we’re visiting family means you’re exempt from being punished.”

Slug goes as pale as a sheet of paper, eyes on the ground while Clementia and Black Hat laugh at him. Black Hat suddenly pauses, looking down to see why Flug isn’t laughing as well, only to find the boy unconscious. “Flug? _Flug?”_ The older villain asks, just on the cusp of frantic. He lowers his voice, too quiet for the heroes to hear him. “… _Kenning?_ Kenning, wake up. Are you alright?”

Slowly, Flug stirs, giving his padre an irritated look. “What?” He isn’t the least bit pleased about having been woken up, glare evident.

Black Hat sighs with relief. “Oh, gracias a Dios,” He mutters, offering his hijo a halfhearted, yet worried smile. “Lo siento, mi hijo… I was just making sure you weren’t dead.”

Flug bites back a groan of frustration, opting instead to just nod his head in acceptance. “I get it, papi… may I please sleep now?”

“Sí, mi hijo. Get some rest,” Black Hat orders. After the scientist has clocked out again, the demon looks up, blushing bright green upon seeing the group of heroes, all of which are smirking at him. “What? Have you never seen affection before in your miserable lives?” He questions defensively, beginning to shoosh the heroes away. “Go on now, off with you! We’ve plenty of guest bedrooms; take your pick. I don’t want to hear a peep out of any of you until sun up, understand?”

Slug just chuckles, shrugging at the villain. “Whatever you say, big guy,” He laughs outright at him, just glad that he's not the one being embarrassed anymore. “My brother oughta be calling you _‘mamá’_ with how you act.”

White Hat gives Slug a firm swat to his backside for that one. “Do _not_ misgender him, son. Not even for a joke,” He says, offering Black Hat a sorry glance. “My apologizes, brother, he didn’t-”

“-It’s fine, White,” Black Hat isn’t the least bit phased by the jab, shrugging his shoulders in response. “I’ve never been bothered by that type of teasing… just keep your chucho in check, understand? Just as he is not safe from getting disciplined by you, he is most certainly _not_ exempt from receiving a beating from me, should he step out of line.”

606 growls outright at the threat, stepping towards Black Hat. Even if the kick from earlier clearly hurt, the bear refuses to back down, especially when he senses that his creator may be in danger again. “Actually, I have another order; keep that _thing_ on an even _shorter_ leash, because if that creature lays so much as _one claw_ on _any_ of my employees, I’ll unzip it and wear it like a little coat!” Black Hat warns, glaring viciously at 606.

White Hat just scowls, uncomfortable already with Black Hat’s various threats, but he nods nonetheless, too sympathetic of Flug’s condition to back out. “I understand, brother… our priority is getting your son well again; that’s all. We needn’t fight… _again.”_

“Then don’t start anything you can’t finish,” Black Hat suggests, beginning to climb back upstairs, arms still holding his hijo. “Goodnight, everyone. Sleep horribly,” Without another word, the demon leaves the foyer, soon finding himself back in his own bedroom. He tucks Flug back into bed, this time crawling in alongside the boy. Black Hat sighs, wrapping his arms around the fragile little human, his exhaustion finally catching up with him. Although he knows Flug is asleep and can’t hear him, he still whispers to the scientist as he begins to nod off. “Goodnight, mi hijo… I’m so proud of you for speaking up; it takes a lot of courage to yell at the two most powerful creatures in existence! I’ll make a fine heir of you yet! Te amo.” He falls asleep soon after, the soft sound of singing morning birds lulling the villain to sleep.

…

It should be noted that Black Hat has dealt with a lot of embarrassing _‘morning after’_ situations in his lifetime… however, nothing quite compares to waking up with the memory that, for the first time in literal _centuries,_ Black Hat is sleeping under the same roof as his twin brother, White Hat. Not only that, but his brother brought along three other superheroes as well (more like two superheroes; that bear is anything but heroic)! Black Hat tries to ignore his own discomfort by waking up first for once; he typically sleeps until noon or a bit earlier, but he’s not going to risk being asleep with capes in his household! After making sure Flug is still okay- not any better than last night, but at least he didn’t wake up again- Black Hat silently exits his bedroom, beginning to check on everyone else.

To the demon’s thankfulness, Demencia and 505 are just fine; Demencia’s splayed out on her bed snoring, while 505 snoozes in a pile of plushies in Flug’s nursery. As for the superheroes… Black Hat finds Clementia in Demencia’s room, much to his surprise, with the heroine sprawled out alongside her friend, completely still save for the occasional murmur. Slug is found in one of the spare guest bedrooms, buried under a mountain of blankets, his paper bag discarded, revealing his expression to be relaxed and carefree. Finally, White Hat… is unaccounted for. Black Hat had expected to find him slumbering alongside his son, but to the villain’s shock, his twin is nowhere to be found.

Refusing to reveal how panicked he is, Black Hat checks his office next, letting out a sigh of relief when he finds it untouched. He knows, deep down in his heart, that White Hat wouldn’t steal from him or look through his things, but ingrained paranoia is a bitch, and Black Hat’s yet to kick her out of his head, leaving him suspicious of most everything (Flug is much the same… like father like son indeed). Shaking it away, the villain makes to check the laboratory next, but just as he’s making his way there, he passes by the kitchen and he hears… he hears _singing._ More importantly, he recognizes the tune, it being an old favorite of White Hat’s. Cracking the door open ever so slightly, Black Hat pokes his head into the kitchen, eyes widening at what he finds.

White Hat is every bit the man Black Hat remembers from his youth; passionate, loving, sympathetic, trusting… after their separation, Black Hat tried to convince himself that such things were all a ploy, meant to lower the villain’s defenses and leave him open to betrayal… so he struck first. Nowadays, Black Hat regrets it, and he’s no better reminded of his past failings than in this moment, witnessing his twin brother in such a happy, carefree state. White Hat is busying himself in front of the stove, prepping something that he can cook for breakfast. Almost nervously, Black Hat tiptoes into the kitchen, feeling how he imagines Flug must feel when he’s in trouble, except the villain isn’t actually in trouble; he’s just anxious.

“Black?” Black Hat jumps in surprise at hearing his name called, White Hat turning around to address the other demon; oh God, where did he get that frilly pink apron? He looks ridiculous! “You’re up early… are you alright?”

Black Hat blushes, not quite meeting his twin’s gaze. “I’m fine,” He assures, forcing his words not to shake or tremble; he refuses to be weak in front of his brother. “Why are _you_ up so early?”

White Hat chuckles outright, much to Black Hat’s embarrassment. “You know me, brother; early bird gets the worm. I thought I’d try and help out by cooking breakfast for everyone, in an attempt to make amends for… well, I was unreasonable last night, and I’m sorry for that,” The hero sighs, looking away in shame. “It was uncalled for, to threaten to… to _take_ your child. I was confused and angry, and unfortunately I let those feelings get the best of me. I hope you’ll forgive me, Black.”

Black Hat bites his tongue, tempted to lash out- he had momentarily forgotten about what White Hat said last night- but he restrains himself. Instead, the villain rolls up his sleeves, and very delicately, comes to stand beside White Hat. “I don’t forgive you just yet, White,” He says, refusing to risk a soul-gaze, so instead he focuses his eyes on his hands, feigning assistance with the prep work. “But understand that I am not in the right place to argue with you right now. If you truly believe that mi hijo is in danger by living with me, we can fight about it later.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Black. For God’s sake, I _never_ wanted to fight with you. You’re my _brother,”_ White Hat also avoids a soul-gaze, subtly moving things to be chopped up in the villain’s direction, if only to give him something to do while the hero gets breakfast started. “I know we usually save these types of discussions for our _‘brother meetings’,_ but… how about we just talk right now? Because while I know your son is sick and it’s stressing you out, you’re still clearly upset about something, and I don’t want you to go through it alone.”

“… _Kenning.”_ Black Hat says, not looking up. Is he trying to divert the topic to something else? Perhaps, but who can really say?

“Excuse me?” White Hat chances a glance Black Hat’s way, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. “What was that? Did you say cutting?”

“No, I said _‘Kenning’…_ that’s Flug’s name now,” When Black Hat is only met with silence, the darker demon sighs in frustration. “The day after our last visit, Flug and I had a discussion, as through his brother I learned that he was without a secret identity. After a fair amount of convincing, he agreed to change his birth name, and asked that I name him… Kenning seemed to fit.”

White Hat doesn’t respond for a few minutes, taking it in, before he hums. “Hm… I could have sworn your favorite name was Adriano.”

Black Hat chuckles a little at that, smirking. “It is, but mi hijo didn’t like it as much as Kenning; I made it his middle name instead.”

Now White Hat’s the one laughing, nodding in agreement. “I know the feeling; Samuel didn’t like his old middle name, as it was his father’s, so I offered to change it for him. Needless to say, he despises when I call him Samuel Barney.”

That nearly has Black Hat in tears. “Well no _wonder_ the boy’s so angry!” He laughs, giving his brother a wicked smirk. “Keep that up and you’ll be a proper villain yet! Perhaps then we can finally…” The good mood is snuffed within a few words, the darker demon blinking, suddenly stumped by his own misstep. “… Nevermind, that was… that was foolish of me to even contemplate.”

White Hat exhales. _Loudly._ Somewhat nervously, he pats Black Hat on the shoulder, earning a surprised jolt. After a few more pats, the villain unwinds a little, allowing his twin to continue the affectionate gesture. “Oh, _Black…_ you know that, even after everything, I _never_ stopped loving you, right? Because I _do,_ Blackie… I love you _so much._ More than _anything.”_

Black Hat breathes- in and out- before giving the weakest of nods. “… I know,” He admits, swallowing around a lump in his throat. “I’m sorry, White, I’m just… I feel like I don’t have any control right now, and it’s more than a little upsetting. Mi hijo is ill, you’re here, I have four superheroes living under my roof… everything seems to be getting worse, and I feel like I’m the only one that can stop it, but nothing is working! I’m at my wit’s end.”

Thankfully, White Hat doesn’t take offense to the fact that he was just cited as yet another problem. “You won’t be alone through this, Blackie,” He promises, embracing Black Hat in a hug. “I know it’s so unbelievably hard to watch someone you love become sick, and I understand that awful, aching guilt… but it _will_ get better. Clementia will heal Flug while Sam and I help around the mansion so things can stay relatively normal,” He gives a halfhearted chuckle, a smirk on his face. “Much as I hate it, I’m sure Sammy will be excited to work on a few of Fl- Kenny’s inventions… my son has a bit of a destructiveness to him, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Black Hat assures, accepting White Hat’s hug, although a part of him wants to shred his twin to ribbons for daring to lay a single finger on him… at the very least, this is a nice exercise in restraint for the villain. “To be quite honest, brother, I almost wish I’d found that boy first… such a brilliant mind, and it’s being wasted on building what I can only assume to be pillow cannons.”

“He’s not wasting his talents, Black. Just because he doesn’t kill people with his inventions doesn’t mean they’re not worthwhile,” White Hat isn’t as harsh with his correction as he’d usually be, not wanting to upset his twin again. “As for you wishing he was your own scientist… well, I’m just glad I found him first. Though, to be fair, I didn’t have much choice.”

Black Hat bristles a bit at that, backing up to raise an eyebrow curiously at White Hat. “What do you mean? Surely the boy didn’t force himself into your possession… then again, the boy’s so brash, I wouldn’t expel it from the realm of possibility.”

“It’s nothing like that!” White Hat promises, quick to correct the mistake. Offhandedly, he continues working on breakfast again, and it’s only now that Black Hat sees what they’re making; pancakes. _When did White Hat find out those were Flug’s favorite?_ “About two and a half years ago, a few years after my retirement, some police officers arrived on my doorstep… as I’m sure you remember, before my retirement I was, er… quite _excessive_ in my apprehensions of criminals. Perhaps overly so. Needless to say, I owed the commissioner quite a few favors, as he kept me from being charged for my… _missteps._ He requested that I watch over Samuel in order to rehabilitate him, and I agreed. Over time, we bonded, and I learned of his past, and what he had been through, and, well… you know me.”

“How fitting,” Black Hat doesn’t really smile, as he’s filled with anxiety at the reminder of how White Hat acted after their separation. “Although I believe I have you beat as far as _‘fate bringing me a hijo’_ goes, at least presentation wise.”

“Is that so?” White Hat smirks, curious of what could possibly top meeting his son while he was chained and wearing a muzzle. “And how did you meet your dear son? Washed up on your doorstep in the rain, begging for a place to stay? Lost in the park, searching for a caring stranger to save him?”

Black Hat all but grins, biting his lip to refrain from laughing. “Let’s just say the stork visited,” He offers, gesturing vaguely at the ceiling. “That airplane sticking out of my roof isn’t just for show, brother.”

The look of horror on White Hat’s face… that gets Black Hat to begin laughing again, the villain bending over with the force of it. “You never cease to terrify me beyond reason, dear brother,” White Hat states, shaking his head at Black Hat’s hysterical laughter. “How about you make yourself useful and find me some chocolate chips? Clementia will kill me if she can’t bury her breakfast in sugar.” He says this jokingly, feeling comfortable enough to tease his twin.

Black Hat wipes the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, composing himself through a slow nod. “Very well, White.” He responds, a bit of a giggle in his voice still. At the back of his mind, he figures this is a better alternative to being angry and screaming at the people around him over something they can’t control.

It’s as he’s getting White Hat the chocolate chips that, quite suddenly, Black Hat is hit with the realization that this is exactly what life would have been like, had they never separated; just two brothers, laughing and grinning together under the same roof, cooking breakfast and acting like nothing bad had ever happened to them. Allowing a loose smile, the villain snaps out of it somewhat and hands the candies to his twin, watching as White Hat stirs a few into the pancake batter… Black Hat takes a seat at the kitchen table, watching his brother work with a fond warmth in his chest. This isn’t quite the same warmth he feels when interacting with his beloved hijo, but all things considered, the villain welcomes this newfound happiness.

Perhaps the idea that they can someday forgive each other isn’t just wishful thinking after all.

…

Breakfast goes surprisingly well, all things considered. Black Hat had been almost certain that everyone would start fighting, but to his utter surprise, things go fairly well. Demencia and Clementia spend a majority of the meal chit-chatting, to the point that they’re the last ones to finish their meals (something that Demencia’s never done before). 505 and 606 barely look at each other, 505 too skittish of his opposite and 606 too confused by his own, yet this doesn’t stop the bears from eating next to each other at the table. Flug is too out of it to do much talking, barely eating anything throughout the meal, but thanks to Slug’s negotiating, he manages to eat much more than he otherwise would have. As for Black Hat and White Hat? Well, they continue joking around like they were earlier, laughing at each other’s stories.

“-And that’s how Sam managed to clone ten thousand chickens by accident!” White Hat says, chuckling at the memory. “Needless to say, we temporarily turned our organization into a chicken farm.”

“Dad, _please!”_ Slug whines, ducking his head in embarrassment; he’s just glad Flug is too tired to pay attention to the stories his father won’t stop telling. “God, you’re _so_ embarrassing!”

“That’s his _job,_ mi sobrino. Get used to it.” Black Hat suggests, barely containing his laughter at the sight of Slug so upset. There’s something so timelessly amusing about winding the young superhero up into a blind rage, even after accepting him as his nephew.

Slug huffs, but otherwise doesn’t throw a tantrum or anything of the like, deciding instead to just cross his arms and scowl at his uncle. The rest of breakfast goes smoothly, and after helping 505 load the dishes into the sink, White Hat exchanges a look with his twin brother. “When was the last time you bathed your son?” He asks, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Black Hat tilts his head, confused by the question. “What are you getting at? Is something on his shirt?” The villain quickly begins maneuvering the boy in his arms around, looking him over for any stains on his clothing.

White Hat shakes his head, offering a shy smile. “No, nothing like that… I just figured that since he probably needs a bath due to all his sweating, I thought we could just kill two birds with one stone… or rather, wash two boys with one bathtub.”

“Oh my _gosh~!”_ Clementia cooes, giggling alongside Demencia when Slug immediately averts his eyes, overwhelmingly embarrassed. “Whitie, please, you have _got_ to get us some pictures of this! Oh my God, Sammy, you’re gonna look _so cute_ with your little brother!”

Slug sputters like a leaky faucet in response to all of this, clearly horrified. His face is bright red beneath his mask, and he struggles not to yell in the face of such an awful suggestion. “Dad, what the _hell!?_ No _way_ am I taking a bath with Flug; I’m not even in headspace right now!”

“But, son, you haven’t showered in at least a few days. Come now, it won’t be all that bad!” White Hat assures, attempting to reach for his son, but Slug simply backs away, not at all on board with his father’s scheme. “Sam, please… wouldn’t it be nice to spend some time with your baby brother? I know you two never got to experience any bath playtimes together, so why not try it out? You’ve been so upset lately, I think a bath would help you relax.”

“Yeah, no, I don’t need to experience that,” Slug promises, climbing onto the counter to get some higher ground, should he need to leap over White Hat to escape. “Sorry, popsie, but this is _not_ gonna happen! You can’t make me!”

“Slug-” White Hat goes to try and persuade his son further, but to his surprise, Black Hat steps in before he can.

“-Sobrino, stop this nonsense at once,” Black Hat orders, glaring viciously up at the young superhero. “You will come down from there this instant, or else I will be forced to intervene.”

“Oh yeah? What the hell are you gonna _do,_ big guy?” Slug asks, casually leaning back against a cupboard. “No way my dad’s gonna let you hurt me!”

“Don’t think me foolish enough to try something so rash, mi sobrino… thankfully for me, your padre will be the one disciplining you, should you refuse to cooperate,” Black Hat promises, a wicked gleam in his eye. “If you continue with this tantrum of yours, I will have no choice but to tell su padre about what you did last July.”

There’s hesitation in Slug’s stance now, the young hero tilting his head a little, somewhat confused. “The heck are you talking about? You mean when you kidnapped me? Why the hell would my dad get mad at me over _that?_ If anything, he’ll just get pissed at you!”

“I’ll be honest, I’m curious as to what you mean as well, brother.” White Hat admits, flashing Slug a curious look; has his son been hiding something from him?

Black Hat chuckles, shrugging his shoulders, careful not to jab Flug in the process, as he still has the barely conscious boy in his arms. “It’s nothing, brother… so long as Samuel cooperates, I’ll have no reason to discuss this any further,” He grins up at Slug, meeting the boy’s gaze for a split second, causing the hero to shiver against his will. “Come now, mi sobrino… _surely_ you wouldn’t want me telling su padre about that little _‘hat’_ incident. You remember it, correct? I’ve no idea how my brother rules over his household, but knowing him, I doubt he would like you playing with such a dangerous toy without permission, especially indoors; to be quite honest, we should be glad no one was injured!”

“Sammy, what is he talking about?” White Hat asks, though he has a strong suspicion as to what Black Hat is referring to, and indeed he’ll be furious if it’s confirmed that Slug- despite knowing it’s _completely_ against the rules to do so- has played with a BB gun indoors. Even more concerning is it sounds like Slug may have _shot at_ Black Hat with the weapon, and if that’s the case… “Samuel Barney, if Black’s referring to what I think he is, I _swear-”_

“-Well, would ya look at the time? I think it’s about time me and my baby brother over here wash up!” Immediately, Slug hops down from the counter, takes Flug from Black Hat’s arms, and makes for the door. He pauses in the doorway, offering the demons a glaringly fake/terrified grin. “Well? Come on, dad, let’s go! That bath isn’t gonna have itself!”

White Hat makes to say something- at this point, he’s fairly certain of what Slug did- but he holds his tongue, shaking his head in defeat. The fact that Slug is willing to go through with a bath without fussing is miracle enough, and White Hat figures it’s best to just let Slug get away with this one, if only to avoid another argument; he _really_ doesn’t wanna have to spank his son this early into their visit. Black Hat meets Slug in the doorway, snatching Flug out of his arms before leading the group towards the nearest bathroom. To Slug’s thankfulness, the girls and bears don’t follow, so at least they’ll have _some_ privacy. Once they’ve reached the bathroom, Black Hat ushers his brother and nephew inside, locking the door after entering with Flug.

“I’ll get the boys ready, alright?” White Hat offers, already rolling up his sleeves in preparation. After receiving a nod from his twin, the hero goes for Slug first. “Come here, son… no need to fret; I promise you’ll enjoy this.”

Slug rolls his eyes, his blush revealed as he tosses off his mask and goggles, allowing his father to tug off his turtleneck. “Whatever, dad.” He mutters, glancing towards Flug.

Internally, Slug’s a bit terrified of bathing with his little brother. Although Flug fully identifies now as a boy, that wasn’t always the case, and as a result Slug’s never actually bathed with him before, not even as a toddler! Not only that, but Slug is worried about making his kid brother uncomfortable. Oh _sure,_ Flug’s head is clearly in the clouds right now, but he’s sure to get ahold of himself once he’s soaking wet, and Slug’s concerned as to how his younger brother will react. Will he freak out? Will he be fine? It’s hard to tell. By the time Slug’s convinced himself to just let it go, he finds himself stripped down to his pull-up, now unable to hide his blushing when it’s revealed that he’s wet himself; Slug blames it entirely on having been stressed out earlier.

“There there, Sammy,” White Hat murmurs, offering Slug’s t-shirt as a modesty cover after removing the soaked garment. “It’s alright… that’s why you wear protection, right? No harm done, sweetheart.

Slug just nods, ashamed and beginning to feel himself slide quite a bit. Feeling awkward, the boy sits on the floor of the bathroom, averting his eyes while his father undresses Flug next, who seems to be coming back to himself, albeit slowly. Even once he’s become aware of the situation, Flug doesn’t seem overly affected, and the reason is soon painfully obvious; he’s deep in headspace, and by deep, Slug means the poor kid probably doesn’t realize what’s happening. As a result, Flug is quite cooperative, the closest thing he does to fussing being a bit of squirming, but it’s only because he keeps trying to crawl towards Black Hat, who’s busy filling up the bathtub and getting everything ready.

Upon seeing his hijo trying to reach for him, Black Hat offers the young villain an amused little smirk. “Oh? Where do you think _you’re_ going, little one?” He asks, tilting his head at Flug’s squirming. “Are you trying to come to papi?”

Flug just nods his head excitedly, so entrenched in his headspace that he’s nonverbal. This makes Slug believe he won’t freak out about being topless, but the minute Flug’s shirt is removed… well, he bawls. “Oh, sweetie, it’s okay,” White Hat’s all over him in a heartbeat, softly murmuring to the scientist while rubbing his arms to warm him up. “There’s no need to cry, son; it’s going to be okay.”

“No!” It’s all Flug can manage in his current state, as he begins thrashing outright, trying to get away from the superhero.

“Here, let me try something,” Slug offers, moving in-between White Hat and his little brother. “Hey, kiddo, remember me?” He asks, smiling at his fellow age-slider. After a few hiccups, Flug nods his head. “Thata boy… it’s gonna be okay, lil’ bro. I know you don’t like being naked, but it’s not gonna be for long,” Eyeing a few of the bath toys Black Hat’s already poured into the bathtub, Slug smirks, hatching an idea. “See all those little boats? We can have a race if you want! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Flug perks up a little at that, rubbing away his tears with his fist. With Flug finally calmed down and the bath ready, Slug quickly gets himself and Flug in, unable to fight down a sigh of contentment at the sensation of the warm water now surrounding him. It’s a closely guarded secret- and something that Slug is oftentimes embarrassed by- but the ex-villain absolutely _loves_ bathes. It’s not often that he gets to indulge, and it’s been awhile since he’s last had one, so Slug allows himself to nearly go slack once he’s in the tub, feeling relieved at the chance to just be. Even while sliding further than he’d like due to the bath, Slug stays active enough to follow through with his promise, offhandedly pushing around the little toy boats with Flug; Slug much prefers trains to boats, but he supposes trains would be out of place here.

“You’re being such a good big brother, Sammy,” White Hat praises, running a scrubbie over Slug’s back and arms. “I’m so proud of you.”

Slug blushes at the praise, simultaneously loving and hating it. The rest of the bath is relatively uneventful, as Flug quickly begins dozing off, to the point that Black Hat has to hold him up just to keep his hijo from lying down in the bathwater. By the time they’re both clean, Slug has found himself deeper in headspace, but he still refuses to completely slide. That doesn’t keep him from seeking out affection though, so much so that he audibly whines when White Hat steps away for a minute. Thankfully, Slug isn’t given enough time to fuss about it, as his father returns moments later with a towel, wrapping the young superhero in it once all the bathwater has drained away. Black Hat does the same for Flug, careful to support his neck, as the scientist is entirely limp at this point, fast asleep after being pampered.

“And here I was worried he’d be hyperactive after a bath,” White Hat comments, subconsciously holding Slug the same way Black Hat is holding Flug. “I’m just glad that he wasn’t too upset about losing his shirt… poor child. Do you plan on getting him top surgery anytime soon?”

“Perhaps, but not presently,” Black Hat says. He sets Flug down for a second to clap his hands, producing two sets of clothes from thin air. “Here, this one's for him.” He offers one of the outfits to White Hat, who happily takes it.

Slug mentally winces at the sight; he really doesn’t like footie pajamas, and it’s not made any easier when he sees that it’s white and blue. Even more offending is that Flug’s pajamas are in black and red, which are Slug’s favorite colors! “How come Flug gets to wear cool colors!?” He asks, pouting in frustration.

Black Hat laughs, especially when he sees the disappointed look on his twin’s face. “Because they’re _my_ colors, sobrino,” He explains, changing Flug into a diaper before angling his limp limbs through the sleeves, dressing the scientist without much trouble. “But no need to fuss; you may wear su padre’s colors!”

“White sucks.” Slug huffs, still disappointed.

White Hat just silently mopes, giving his son a sad smile. “Oh, sweetie, but daddy _loves_ the color white! And you look so cute in my colors, sweetheart!” He insists, all while helping Slug get dressed, careful to make sure Slug wears another pull-up; no need to risk him ruining his pajamas due to an accident.

Slug still mopes throughout the ordeal, but otherwise refrains from throwing a fit; he might be little, but he’s not _that_ little! By the time both boys are dressed, even Slug will admit that he’s fairly exhausted. He really struggled last night to sleep, only having passed out an hour before breakfast was served. As White Hat knows this- Slug can’t seem to keep anything a secret from his father- the paler demon gives his twin a half smile, appearing concerned yet nervous. “If it’s not much trouble, brother, how about we let the boys nap together for a few hours? Kenning’s sickness is obviously not contagious, and I think it would be comforting for them to stay together.”

“Wait, Kenning? What are you talking about?” Slug’s eyes widen, suddenly jolted out of headspace (at least a little) by the strange name.

“Oh, right, of course… Samuel, your brother-” White goes to explain the situation, but he’s cut off by his twin.

“-Brother, please,” Black Hat smirks, now holding Flug a bit more proudly. “He’s mi hijo, so I will introduce him. Sobrino, this is su hermano; Kenning Adriano Hatson!”

Slug blinks, pulling a face. He has to bite his tongue to keep from pointing out that _‘Kenning’_ is single-handedly the _weirdest_ name he’s ever fucking heard. “Um… okay, I guess?” He says, barely containing his disappointment in the name choice. “Gonna be honest, I was hoping his name would start with an ‘F’ again, seein’ as both of my names are ‘S’ names; I think Frederick would suit him pretty well.”

Black Hat scowls, glaring at his nephew with no small amount of irritation. “Consider yourself lucky that I’m in a good mood, mi sobrino, otherwise I would feed you to the bear.” He threatens, offended that Slug doesn’t like his name choice.

Slug rolls his eyes, ignoring the way White Hat hugs him closer, the hero protective of his young son. “That bear couldn’t hurt me even if he tried.” He declares, although in the back of his mind, Slug’s haunted by the memory of 505 attacking 606… he shivers, unnerved.

White Hat notices the shiver, giving his twin another nervous look. “I think the boys could use some much needed rest, brother,” He points out, eyes focused particularly on Flug, the scientist still out cold. “Are you alright with them sleeping in the same bed?”

Black Hat huffs, rolling his eyes, but he nonetheless relents. “I suppose it would be acceptable, so long as that boy of yours apologizes for insulting me.”

Slug crosses his arms, not wanting to cooperate, but he _is_ tired… and it wouldn’t hurt to stay near his brother, should he have a medical emergency while asleep. “Fine,” He mutters, sparing Black Hat a glance. “I’m sorry for saying _‘Kenning’_ was a stupid name… should of at _least_ made his first name Adriano.”

“Samuel, that’s enough,” White Hat warns, voice stern. “My apologizes, brother, Sam is just-”

“-No, it’s fine. I assure you, all is forgiven!” Black Hat promises, and is that a smirk on his face? How strange. “Come along, then… best we let them rest.”

White Hat nods in agreement, a huge grin suddenly appearing on his face. “Here, I’ll teleport us there; it will be much faster!”

“White, I _swear,_ if you-” But it’s too late for Black Hat to stop them, and with a wink, the lot of them are teleported out of the bathroom, appearing back in Flug’s nursery.

To Black Hat’s utter shock, they’re all fine on arrival, and it takes a few minutes before the villain recalls that, oh, right… teleportation is kind of White Hat’s _thing._ Still, Black Hat can’t keep himself from scowling at White Hat, as he most certainly doesn’t appreciate being moved without permission, but he supposes what’s done is done. Letting it go, Black Hat turns his attention to setting Flug in his crib, stepping back to let Slug climb in next, the boy gently pushing White Hat’s hands away when he tries to help. Once both inventors have laid down, White Hat puts a blanket over them, effectively tucking them in. Ignoring Slug’s glare that screams _‘don’t you dare’,_ the hero gives his son a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams, son,” White Hat murmurs, offering his son a soft smile. “Yell if you need anything, alright?”

“If you wake mi hijo, it will be the last thing you do,” Black Hat warns, not quite meeting Slug’s eyes, as they keep glancing between Flug and the superheroes. Does he… does he want to do something for his son as well? “But yes, if there’s an emergency, call for help.” In the end, the villain doesn’t do anything, heading instead for the door, followed quickly by White Hat.

Only once the door has shut does Slug sigh, turning onto his side to hug Flug close. “Kenning, huh?” He asks himself, unable to contain a small smirk. “Guess I’m gonna have to get used to that… goodnight, lil’ bro.” He falls asleep quickly, giving his mind a long awaited rest.

…

“Son of a _bitch!”_

Flug jolts awake, banging his head against his crib’s mobile, causing the scientist to hiss through clenched teeth as a result of the sharp pain. Flug quickly discovers who woke him a moment later, finding his older brother hopping up and down on one foot, clutching the other with both hands. The younger brother internally winces, noticing the Legos scattered across his floor; no doubt Slug accidentally stepped on one. After a good few minutes of both brothers wincing at their injuries, they recover, Slug flashing a rather vicious glare at his younger brother. Flug leans away a little at the sight, half scared Slug’s going to throttle him for leaving his toys out, but to the villain’s thankfulness, that anger melts away in a heartbeat.

“Jesus Christ, Flug,” Slug shakes his head in exasperation, unable to comprehend the mess that is Flug’s nursery. “I dunno how you get away with your room being such a damn minefield! Either your dad’s blind as a bat, or he just likes being in pain… actually, nevermind, I don’t want to think too hard about that second thing,” Deciding to abandon his idea to escape the nursery to do other things, Slug sits back down in the crib, but leaves the crib’s bars down, as he wants to avoid feeling trapped. He then gives his little brother a concerned once-over, eyebrows furrowed as he looks Flug over. “So… how you feeling, bro?” He inquires, wondering if his brother feels any better yet.

Flug grimaces, the mere mention of his condition making him nauseous. “Honestly? I feel like I got into a fight with your dad and died. _Twice.”_

Slug gives a sympathetic wince. “That bad, huh?” Upon earning a nod, the older brother has to restrain himself from chuckling, especially since he finds Flug’s analogy amusing. “Yeah, getting drugged will do that to ya… speaking of which, mind telling me why you thought it was a good idea to accept a drink from a stranger? Woulda hoped all those bullshit parties growing up would’ve been enough to teach you basic stranger danger.”

Flug looks away, feeling embarrassed. “Well, I…” When Slug doesn’t try to interrupt, the boy begrudgingly continues, having secretly wished he wouldn’t have to explain himself. “The lady who gave it to me told me I was s-stuttering, uh… p-pretty bad. I thought I was embarrassing my dad, so I thought that if I drank a little, I’d stop being an embarrassment.”

“Aw, _Flug,”_ Slug is clearly disappointed, but he remains sympathetic to the younger man’s plight. “Alcohol isn’t going to make anything better, little bro. As for accepting a drink from a stranger… well, it looks like you learned your lesson, so I’m not gonna act like your dad and lecture you over it,” Sighing, he pulls Flug into a hug, rubbing the other scientist’s back. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo… I’m sorry you had to learn your lesson the hard way.”

“I’ll be okay, now that you guys are here,” Flug says, resting his head against his older brother’s shoulder, secretly glad that Slug isn’t wearing his jacket; the last thing Flug needs is spiked shoulder pads impaling his face. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I wasn’t worried; I knew you’d be okay, bro,” Slug assures, though he doesn’t come off as all that convinced. “Just take it easy for a little bit, alright? You can rest easy knowing I’ll take care of everything in the lab for ya.”

Flug pulls away, glaring into Slug’s eyes. “You better not mess up any of my blueprints!” He orders, protective of his belongings; he blames it on the years spent having to hide everything he created, for fear of his parents throwing his inventions out.

Slug laughs outright, patting Flug a little too hard on the shoulder. “Aw, come on, bro! Don’t be like that,” He leans into his younger brother’s personal space, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he pinches Flug’s arm, pulling at the sleeve of his sleeper. “Maybe I’ll do your daddy a favor and baby proof the place! What do you think of that? I’m gonna replace all your lab coats with footie pajamas!”

“You better _not,_ jerkhole!” Flug warns, punching Slug in the arm, but it’s done somewhat gently, as the two are only fooling around. “But seriously, be careful in my lab, okay? Most everything in there has the potential to kill you; if it looks even _remotely_ like a weapon of mass destruction, it is one!”

“I wish _I_ could make weapons of mass destruction,” Slug mutters under his breath, appearing jealous. “I feel like the closest to a weapon I’ve ever been allowed to make is a freaking pillow cannon!”

“Better than nearly killing yourself trying to build an airplane tank,” Upon earning a confused look, Flug just sighs. “Don’t ask; pretty sure papá’s still mad about that one.”

Slug shakes his head, chuckling under his breath. “Sounds like you’re pretty happy here, though. I mean, you’ve got a pretty chill dad-” He vehemently ignores Flug’s scoff, as Slug’s convinced that Black Hat’s the more lenient parent between them. “-a rad older sister, a living teddy bear, a lab where you can build anything you want… we finally got ourselves a decent family, bro,” He suddenly stiffens, an anxiousness settling into his bones. “Speaking of, um, _‘family’…_ mom sent me these,” He pulls out three envelopes from under the crib, having hidden them there before being tucked into bed. The first two are addressed to them individually, specifically to their hero/villain personas, while the third is addressed to _‘My Beloved Children’._ “I don’t know how she found out who we were, but… look, I haven’t read yours or the one for both of us, but just based off mine, it’s pretty clear she wants to talk.”

Flug feels his chest tighten, a terror he’s long since buried resurfacing to the forefront of his mind. “Wh-What do they, um, s-say?” He asks, giving the envelopes a hesitant look, as if he’s afraid opening them will set off a bomb.

Slug shrugs, opening the one addressed to both of them. “Only one way to find out…” He glances at Flug, his expression one of concern. “If you don’t want me to read this to you, I could just bu-”

“-No,” Flug swallows around a lump in his throat, refusing to back down. “We at least owe her this… wouldn’t be right to not even read it.”

“Okay, bro… if you’re so sure.” Slug says, before unfolding the letter, beginning to read it aloud.

_“To my dearest, most beloved children._

_Hello, my darlings! How have you been? I’ve heard that you’ve both been rather busy with your new careers. Yes, I know what your new identities are; the minute I heard about a hero and villain that were nearly identical to each other, I knew it was you two! Don’t worry, kids, your mommy won’t tell anyone! In fact, all I want is to see you both again! I’ve been ever so lonely here in jail, as I haven’t had a single visitor, and it would make my day if I were to see my two most beloved children again! I know we haven’t always gotten along, but your mommy wants to make amends, and I think if we all put in a little effort, we could go back to being a happy, loving family! Please, kids, do it for me! I miss you SO much!_

_Sincerely yours, Florence Wilhelm the First.”  
_

“What a load of _bullshit,”_ Slug growls, crumbling up the letter and throwing it over his shoulder, only for Flug to catch it, the younger brother unraveling it to read through again. This surprises Slug, the man’s eyes widening in shock. “Flug, don’t tell me you actually _believe_ this crap!” He says, annoyed at the very concept. “She’s a fucking sociopath, bro; she’s only acting nice so we’ll feel bad for her and bail her ass out!”

“But… but she’s our _mom,”_ Flug points out, eyebrows furrowed as he rereads the letter, his heart aching at the thought of his mother suffering alone in prison. “Sure, she was bad to us when we were kids, but… we can’t just _abandon her,_ Sam. Maybe we could just-”

“-No,” Slug is firm on the matter, eyes narrowed in barely contained rage. “She’s _never_ going to change, Flug… the sooner you figure that out, the better your life is gonna be. I mean, come on; you have a _way_ better family now! You don’t _need her_ anymore! I know it hurts, and that you love her- so do I- but there’s no saving her, Flug… it’s better to just move on.”

Flug shakes his head, tears streaming down his face. “I _can’t,”_ It’s all he can really say, unable to properly express this pain in his heart. _“Please,_ Sammy… _please_ understand.”

Slug sighs. _Hard._ Slowly, he gives a short nod, stubbornly crossing his arms even as he surrenders. “… _Fine._ Fine, we’ll just… we’ll go visit her. But only _once!_ And don’t try and go without me, okay? Just because she’s behind bars doesn’t make her harmless.” He says this as if he has first hand experience with prisoners, and considering his criminal past, Flug believes it.

“I won’t,” Flug lies through his teeth, all while tucking the letter underneath his mattress in order to hide it from Black Hat. “But can I, um… can I have the letter addressed to me?” He requests, sounding almost skittish.

Slug hands him the envelope, a grim look on his face. “Sure, kiddo… might be a bit redundant though; mine was basically the same as the one she sent for both of us,” Standing up, Slug cracks his back, before offering his little brother a halfhearted, concerned smile. “Remember what I said, Flug; mom is dangerous. Don’t trust anything she says, okay? I’m gonna go check on my dad.” With that, he leaves the room, damn near stepping on another Lego on his way out.

Only once the door has closed does Flug look over the envelope, his stomach twisting in unhappy knots, and he knows it’s not just because he’s sick. The scientist sits there for quite some time, contemplating whether or not this is worth the risk of going through more abuse. Like Slug said, their mother is dangerous, and as Flug himself pointed out, she was pointlessly cruel to them as children, making the decision to visit her all the more anxiety inducing. But… well, Flug can’t imagine _not_ seeing her, especially when she seems so helpless and lonely. And besides, she wrote to them in such a kind, loving manner… Flug’s _never_ witnessed her act like this! Perhaps her time behind bars really _has_ changed her, and she really _does_ want to make amends!

Finally, Flug opens the envelope, pulling out the letter to begin reading it.

_“To my beloved son._

_Hello, my dearest! My my, seems you’ve been up to quite a lot of trouble, haven’t you? All this time I thought if anyone would be the delinquent of the family, it would be your brother Samuel! But please, don’t take that as an insult, my dear! I’m actually very proud of you and all you’ve managed to accomplish. Not only have you made a name for yourself as one of the most infamous villains in history within only two short years, but you’ve managed to trick the lord of villainy himself into hiring you! I don’t know how you pulled it off (you’ll have to tell me all about it later), but nonetheless, you’ve somehow convinced Black Hat into adopting you as his heir! Bravo, son!_

_Yes, I know you’re a boy now. I must admit, I was quite shocked when I found out! My precious little girl? A boy? I laughed at the very idea, but once it sunk in… well, I’ll live with it. I much prefer you as my little darling daughter, but I suppose another son wouldn’t be too heartbreaking. And honestly, it’s more like you’re my ONLY son at this point! Don’t tell Samuel, but I no longer consider that bastard as my own; he sold the family out! Now I’m in prison because of him, and lord only knows where your father escaped to in the chaos! All joking aside, I understand if you wish to bring Samuel along, but I’d much rather spend some quality time with my better son, and not some wash-up that thinks he’s good just because he pretends to be a superhero!_

_Honestly, wouldn’t you rather not have your brother ruining our happy reunion? He has such a temper, I doubt he’ll keep it in check for the whole visit. Besides… I miss you, sweetheart. I miss you so much, I cry almost every night at the thought of you! So please, make your mommy happy again; and please do it soon! I’m worried these other inmates might hurt me…_

_Love, Mommy~!”_

For a good, long while, Flug just sits there, absorbing the information. There’s so much to unpack here… so was that first letter all a ploy? Something to just convince Samuel that he’s loved? As much as Flug preens at the praise his mother sends him through the personal note, he quickly begins to feel angry, not just because she believes that he tricked Black Hat into adopting him- how she came to that conclusion, he’ll _never_ know- but because of how terribly she treats Slug in the letter! Flug had originally intended to meet with his mother alone for privacy reasons, but now he wants to do so in order to tell her off for such horrid behavior! How _dare_ she treat his big brother like this! Irritated, Flug hides the letter underneath his mattress alongside the other one; no one can ever know about this.

As terrifying as it is, Flug is going to do this alone… if not to set things right, than to at least keep Samuel out of harm’s way.

…

After two days, Clementia finally deems Flug healthy again, and Flug is relieved to see that it’s not all talk; he truly feels ten times better than before! If anything, he actually feels healthier than normal! It’s after Flug and the rest of the villainous family waves the heroic squad off, with White Hat promising to visit again soon, that Black Hat suddenly sets a hand down on the young villain’s shoulder, causing Flug to shiver with dread. No words are exchanged, even when the scientist glances up at his padre with a quizzical look on his face, somewhat confused by the unexpected touch. Black Hat just… _stares_ at him, a gleam in his eyes that has Flug shivering again. Silently, the demon angles Flug towards the foyer staircase, leading him upstairs and into his private study.

The minute Flug realizes where they’re growing, he feels dread fill his insides. Is he about to get disciplined for what happened at the party? He sure as hell hopes not; Flug had hoped being sick was punishment enough. Once inside the study, Black Hat finally turns around, giving Flug his full attention. “I know you must be anxious to find out why you’re here,” He says, addressing the elephant in the room. He waits for Flug to nod before continuing. “Well, rest assured that you’re not about to be physically disciplined, hijo; I believe you’ve already suffered enough. However, I need you to understand that while being drugged was not entirely your fault, accepting the drink was unacceptable. Do you remember what I told you before the party?”

“Um…” Flug looks away, uncertain. “I, um, d-don’t remember, actually. Lo siento.”

“I suppose I must fill you in then,” Black Hat says, stepping into Flug’s personal space he continues the lecture, backing him into a corner to tower over the boy, intimidating him into silence. “As I’ve mentioned many times before, this business is not for the faint of heart, and it will chew you up and swallow you whole if you’re not careful. Every day new heroes and villains try to make a name for themselves, and over ninety percent of them end up dead in a gutter within the year,” He clamps a hand down on Flug’s shoulder again, squeezing it a bit too hard to hide his slight tremble. “The fact that you operate off the field gives you an advantage, but it’s events like that party where people like you are dealt with… you are mi hijo now, Flug, and I will not allow you to get yourself killed due to your carelessness. Do you understand me?”

Sheepishly, Flug nods, swallowing around a nervous lump in his throat. His own body trembles harder than Black Hat’s, the reality of what almost happened weighing on him like Atlas holding Olympus on his back. “I-I understand, padre,” Flug assures, turning to formality in an attempt to appease his guardian’s temper. “It will n-never happen again. I promise.”

Black Hat gives a simple but stiff nod. “See that it doesn’t,” He turns his back on Flug, but before the boy can leave, he changes the topic. “Oh, and before I forget… I understand that your birth madre is in prison, correct?”

Flug blanches, put off by the sudden shift in conversation. “Um… sí?” He isn’t sure why Black Hat’s brought it up- God forbid the older villain somehow discovered the letters- but he has a sinking feeling that it isn’t for a good reason.

Where Black Hat would usually smirk, the demon’s jaw is set in a cold, steely grimace. “Su madre is a dangerous, terrible woman, mi hijo… and even within the confines of a prison, I do not believe she will get any better, tis the reality of criminal containment,” He half turns, offering Flug a stern, unrelenting look. “People such as her do not reach out to their supposed loved ones in an attempt to reconnect with them, mi hijo… they only seek to better their situations, even at the cost of distressing those who love them,” He looks away again, grimacing at the floor in order to avoid Flug’s gaze. “Promise me, should that witch contact you, that you will not go to her; not under any circumstances. I understand that you once loved her, however… I only wish to keep you out of harm’s way. I will _not_ risk losing you a second time, mi hijo.”

Flug can’t lock eyes either, afraid he’ll begin crying as a result. Instead, he gives a weak nod, but speaks up in order to avoid getting in trouble. “I… I won’t, padre.”

“No!” Black Hat shouts, earning a terrified yelp from his offspring before he backs Flug into the corner again, growling down at the scrawny little thing in front of him. “I am _not_ playing games, young man. Now follow my order to the letter; _promise_ you will _not_ visit her!”

“I p-promise not to v-visit her!” Flug says, voice shaky after having been yelled at. It’s been a long, long time since Black Hat’s been this aggressive with him, and although the scientist knows his padre is only doing this out of fear, it still hurts to be treated like this; like an unruly house-pet that needs a surplus of correction in order to obey basic commands.

Black Hat gives a long, slow sigh, his eyes squinted as he looks Flug over. He obviously doesn’t believe Flug will obey him, but with no real proof that the boy is lying, he fitfully let’s it go, turning his back on his offspring in a silent declaration that this conversation is over. Even without being physically scolded, this somehow hurts more, as Flug feels guilt-ridden before he’s even disobeyed his padre. Slowly, Flug bows his head and heads towards the door. He has the chance to prove himself to be respectful by obeying orders and not running off, but… again, Flug can’t imagine just flat out abandoning his mother, especially after being reminded that she’s still around and thinking about him. The boy desperately needs closure to that chapter of his life, and he won’t let it be taken away from him.

Just as Flug puts his hand on the door handle, his padre speaks up again. “Kenning, look at me.” It comes out like an order, but he says it so _softly…_ Flug can’t resist turning his head and meeting the demon’s eyes, not quite soul-gazing, but the older villain’s sorrow is blatantly obvious. “Kenning, please understand… I am not trying to harm you by denying you a reunion with su madre. I only seek to protect you, as all parents wish to do, and I will not allow that monster to ruin your life anymore than she already has. Please… don’t do what I know you will do. _Please_ prove me wrong. Te amo, mi hijo… do _not_ make me lose you to this.”

Flug looks away, refusing to meet Black Hat’s gaze any longer. Is he doing it out of spite? To punish his padre? Or is he doing it because, deep down, he knows he’s incapable of following this one order? Flug himself isn’t sure, but at the very least, he gives Black Hat a response. “Yo también te quiero, papi… lo siento.” Without another word, or an explanation for his apology, Flug runs out the door, allowing it to slam closed behind him.

Even with his son being absent, Black Hat bites his tongue to contain an infuriated scream. He cannot, for the life of him, understand why Flug wishes to see his madre again, especially after all she’s done to him. Then again, Black Hat doesn’t really understand a lot of things when it comes to how one should feel towards their parents, as whoever- or whatever- created him deemed him too much of a task to watch over, dumping him and his twin brother out in the middle of nowhere to fend for themselves. All Black Hat feels towards his creator is anger, with no small amount of secret, unbearable longing. He supposes, deep down inside, that closure would be appealing… but he can’t imagine Flug will find any, should he seek out his madre. Sighing, Black Hat sits behind his desk, pulling out the two letters he found underneath Flug’s mattress.

“Oh, mi hijo… you never cease to worry me,” Black Hat mutters, burning the two letters in the palm of his hand, scowling at the pieces of paper as they burn, until all that’s left of them is a pile of soot. He crushes the ashes in his fist, before dusting off his hand on his pants. “Although I doubt you will obey me, mi hijo… I pray, somehow, that you will regain your senses and stay here, where it’s safe. I don’t want to lose the one good thing in my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, a couple things; I made a Tumblr account for this fic series! Mainly so I can update people as to what’s wrong when I don’t update as fast, but also to make shitposts involving the series and all around just reblog things that remind me of the AU (the paperhat fans are gonna fucking Hate Me) so check me out @/age-sliding-flug! As for what’s coming next, I think I’ll be doing the Heroic backstory fic, the Villainous backstory fic, and finally the mom reunion. Then it’s finally back to voting! Thank you for reading, and have an amazing day!

**Author's Note:**

> Jesus Christmas, I’m sorry this took so long, y’all! My whole family is sick right now, and it’s finally caught up with me… blegh. As for the fic, this will Very Strictly be a two parter… I am NOT going through the “they don’t love you like i love you” situation again (at least until I release my Big Project *winks*). Now then, onto my useless/meaningless rambling:
> 
> 1\. The reason Black Hat was able to summon Plaga at will here and not during the last chapter of “they don’t love you like i love you” is for two reasons; 1, he was emotionally compromised at that point and was struggling to control his abilities in such a precise way, and 2, he didn’t know Exactly where Plaga was, meaning he couldn’t summon the plushie. For teleportation- whether it’s of objects or people- Black Hat needs an exact location to go to/bring something from in order to make it work correctly, otherwise things can go… badly (something I plan to touch on in a later fic).
> 
> 2\. Demencia is definitely TRYING to get used to Black Hat and Flug’s relationship but it’s… really fucking hard for her to deal with. On one hand, she’s really happy that Flug isn’t as miserable as he used to be, but on the other, she desperately wanted to be the person to fulfill Black Hat’s life, and she’s frustrated that this isn’t the case. She’s going to eventually get through this, but in the meantime she’s going through quite a lot of heartbreak. ((So is 505, and I might touch on why that is later, but for now it’s hard to get into his feelings because… he don’t talk much.))
> 
> 3\. Black Hat has NO IDEA how human diseases work, and it’s honestly a miracle that he hasn’t somehow accidentally killed Flug trying to cure him. He’s really struggling with the fact that he CAN’T make everything better by himself, and that’s gonna be a point of contention in the second part for sure.


End file.
